Howdy! Bringing you this earlier than I meant to, cause I was pretty excited to get it done. This is towards a one shot I had made a while back but never posted.
Premise: Tsukihime
To the Guest in the last chapter, you sure you're not psychic? I've already spoken with them, and have of course gotten their permission!
I don't believe I will be doing any record of Ragnarok though. I apologize for that.
"So." Naga spoke up, ignoring the seething gaze from the retreating faunus. "I imagine that you all would like some time to…" his left hand tilted back and forth, "to talk with one another… as I've said before this must be a lot to take in." His fingers tapping on the podium in front of him. "And I'm sure there are plenty of questions that have come to mind now, so why don't we take this little lunch break and we can start from here?" A soft smile escaped his lips as the group nodded. "Right then, I'll go ahead and leave you be."
However, before he could leave a hand shot up. "Yes Ms. Rose?"
Hopping up Ruby took this chance, "I was wondering, what's going to happen to Ozpin, Oscar and Penny?"
Penny bolted upright when she thought about it. "That's right! I'm not a human during Beacon." A frown marred her normally peppy features, insighting Ruby to pull her into a strong friendly hug. "Would I go back to being a robot? I-I quite like being able to 'feel' things." She chose to return the hug Ruby had embraced her into.
Naga took a moment, "Hmm." Snapping his fingers, a plate in front of him vanished and was instead replaced with a book of some sort. "Let me see here." He gently began to thumb through the book, "Okay, well we may have to change some things, but I'll talk to the higher ups." Shifting his glasses he looked back at Penny, "I can't promise anything but I can at least see if there is anything I could do to set things up." He turned towards Nora for a moment, "You two do look similar… I wonder."
Nora stared at him for a moment, "Wonder what?"
"Oh nothing for now… I'll get back to you guys later on that one." Turning towards Oscar, "Ozpin will head back with his memories still intact. I'm sure that the oldman could help settle things for you."
On cue, "I see, I believe there is definitely something I can set up to have Oscar transferred over." The faint glow in Oscar's eyes fizzled away as Ozpin gave control back to the younger boy.
"Wait, does that mean I'm going to get to go to Beacon?" He was obviously confused, but a bit excited, "I was a bit worried… that I wouldn't get to be with everyone else."
Though his worries were soon washed away as he was suddenly tackled to the ground. Nora of course was refusing to have none of little boy Oz's sadness. "No way Oscar! Even if you didn't join us in Beacon we would have still come looking for you, right guys?"
When Oscar turned his attention to the others he found himself greeted with smiling faces, which was soon followed by tight warm hugs. "Of course, we can't let our little brother be all on his own, now could we?"
A blush crept upon his face as he listened to Jaune's words. "Heheh, I suppose not." He couldn't help but scratch the back of his head, imitating the blonde boy.
A soft angelic giggle passed between Pyrrha's lips as she pressed her hand against her mouth. "Oh my goodness he does it too."
Jaune blinked, a small tint of red brushing past his own cheeks as he looked away bashfully. "I uh, don't know what you mean."
Weiss however was having none of his 'obliviousness', "Uh huh, sure you don't Mister. If there is anyone Oscar's been taking after it would definitely be you, Mr. Big Brother."
Pyrrha couldn't help but feel her heart twinge as she watched the interactions in front of her. Jaune's blush had crept back up, his hand wrapped around the back of his head like the old days. Or the way that Yang and Blake stood close to one another, their hands just centimeters from touching. Then there was Nora and Ren, she could feel the closeness between them, but at the same time it was as if they were giving one another a comfortable level of space. Though the thing she felt the most, was the way that Weiss and Jaune drew closer, it was something similar to Blake and Yang but at the same time different, as if they themselves hadn't fully come to understand.
Everyone's changed so much, I've missed so much. She couldn't help but lament, she really had missed a lot. She knew no one held it against her, but watching how out of place she was now? It just felt like perhaps she shouldn't be back. However, "Pyrrha?" Her attention snapped back towards Weiss who had somehow gotten closer to her, When did that happen? Perhaps her senses had dulled, or perhaps the others had just improved that much.
Pyrrha turned her attention fully to the Heire- no the Ex-Heiress, "Yes Weiss?" Thankfully no one else paid head to their conversation, distracted by their own doings. Ruby was currently piled on top of Penny, another sore spot for Pyrrha, and was holding her and Oscar close. Jaune, Ren, and Nora were practically giggling to themselves, all obviously happy to just have her back, though it was interesting that they were pulling Emerald in with them. Blake and Yang were… she blinked for a moment, where DID they go.
As if noticing Pyrrha's confused glance, Weiss answered, "Don't worry about them, they went off to-" She waved her hand around, "Do things." The unspoken them being things was left unsaid.
How did they even get out of the room? Pyrrha couldn't help but think to herself.
"Right, well I was wondering if you'd like to converse for a moment."
She couldn't help but notice the sheepish smile on Weiss' face, something that she could have never imagined from the young woman before now. Things really have changed. "I… I suppose that is fine." She wasn't sure where Weiss wanted to go with this conversation but she supposed she could follow along.
Nodding to herself Weiss decided to lay it out on the table, "Is everything alright? You have seemed oddly out of it since you've arrived." Though she took a moment to pause, "Though I suppose that is to be fair, all things considered." The Pyrrha being brought back from the dead of course was left unsaid.
"Well…" The two never really got along, if Pyrrha was being honest, she quite disliked Weiss when they had spent time together at Beacon. Though, she supposed that was unfair of her to project that now, it was just something difficult to get used to. "I just… I just don't feel like I belong." She turned back to the group, some misshapen dog pile had formed around them. She waved her hand in the direction of said pile, "Everyones changed so much, and I'm still… I'm still the same." She bit her bottom lip to hold down a small quiver. She didn't want to be afraid, but she just couldn't help it.
To her surprise Weiss placed her hand against hers, "Its okay to be afraid." She watched as Weiss eyed their friends, "It's true we've all changed, but none of it came easy. We've all been through really hard times as of late and-" Pyrrha didn't miss the way she eyed a specific blonde, "Some of us have changed perhaps too fast." There was the other bit of unease Pyrrha felt.
"Weiss, do you like Jaune?"
Weiss blinked for a moment, a faint blush running up her pale white cheeks. She expected some kind of bluster, an excuse to get out of it, but what she got was an honest answer. "I'm not honestly sure?" It came out as more of a question, "We've all been through so much, and he's changed, I've changed even. We're not the same people at Beacon." But then she turned back to her, "But I'm not a fool, I may… possibly have fallen for him as things stand. But I know how you've felt before."
Pyrrha took the time to absorb the new information, her feelings were still fresh, the cusp of their first and previously last kips still upon her lips. She had not expected Weiss to answer as such, half of her had expected Weiss to declare she was his, of course this only came from Pyrrha's own overactive imagination, perhaps too many romance novels were not such a great thing. Still, Pyrrha felt an odd calm soothe over her, she was right, they were different. But despite that, they were still her friends. Perhaps, "Weiss?"
"Yes Pyrrha?"
"Would you like to start anew? I would dearly like to be your friend."
Weiss couldn't help but smile, as she had thought things through after Pyrrha's death she had of course realized that the red-head perhaps hadn't been the most fond of her. They had quite a rough first meeting after all, but hearing her stretch out an olive branch? That felt good, and she won't admit it outloud. She always did find her to be quite 'charming'. She may have had… a few ulterior motives back then, but starting out as friends? Yes, she believed that would be nice. "I would appreciate that." And well… perhaps things could work out better than one hoped? She was sure they had plenty of time to work through things while they were here.
Thankfully their conversation ended as, "Gah! Watch out!" Both eyes turned around to see their friends cluster basically explode as Nora appeared from the depths sending the group flying.
Eventually their friends ruffled around, what started as a small giggle from Weiss turned into a raucous laughter from the entire group. Eventually the door opened as Naga made his way in, "Uh…" He paused, "You know what I don't want to know." Clapping his hands together he started, "Alright well its time for the next world, this one was going to be a continuation of the last one." "Awww!" "Sorry Nora, we'll come back to it later. But if it makes you feel better, it does feature you and Mr. Ren over here." "Yes!" This got another laugh from the group as the orange bomber cheered.
A few claps however, pulled them from their reverie. "Well then, I do believe it's time for us to get started on the next show." He took a moment however, to eye the chaos around him, "Would you all enjoy sitting on the floor? I can provide cushions if you prefer."
Ruby suddenly jumped up, a bright shine glistening through her silver eyes. "Yes please! That would be so much fun!"
"Everyone else agree?"
A few mummers of agreements soon followed, and once more Naga clapped his hands. Beneath the group several fluffy cushions formed, popping them up just enough to relax. "Well then shall we get started?"
"Sounds good." Came the overall agreement.
Eventually everyone settled in, the usual groupings forming, though Naga couldn't help but notice something interesting. Weiss and Pyrrha had decided to sit close together, Well now, that's interesting.
After a few minutes of shuffling about, Oscar decided to voice his words"So what is this one about? You said that it had something to do with Ren and Nora?"
"Oh why yes! It's an old favorite of mine actually, it's about the Moon Princess and the Abnormality."
"Moon princess!?" Ruby's excitement peaked, but suddenly it began to wane, "But wait, the moon is broken."
"Not in this world it isn't."
And before anyone could continue questioning the room began to darken, all eyes falling onto the glowing screen.
The Moon Princess and The Abmnormality
A lone figure knelt quietly hidden by flora and trees, his strained pink eyes scanned the view in front of him.
Nora was practically bouncing in place, the cushion she shared with Ren, Oscar and Emerald jostled slightly, "Oh! Look, it's Ren!"
"That it is… I look… different? Also... There is something incredibly eirie about my eyes."
Everyone was in agreement, "Those eyes… there is something… soothing about them." Oscar blinked at Ozpin's words, "What do you mean Oz?"
"Oh! Did Big Ozpin say something?" Nora drew closer to Oscar, hoping for an answer.
"Yes, I apologize, those eyes… they give me comfort for some reason, and I don't quite understand why." This got a thoughtful glance from the group, and almost silent hum from Naga. "I suppose we'll have to keep viewing, perhaps we shall learn more." The faint glow of Ozpin's aura suddenly vanished allowing Oscar to come back.
A woman, short in stature with orange hair dressed in a white sweater shirt and a long blue skirt, stood before a massive man of pale skin and silver hair, eyes the color of blood.
Penny began to clap her hands "Oh now it's Friend Nora!" Though her enthusiasm suddenly died out as all eyes fell on the man in front of her. An eerie shiver ran down everyone's spines, a thick rush of cold followed suit.
Ruby felt it more than anyone else, her eyes sparking for just a moment, "What… what is that?"
Naga hummed out in response, "That is Nero Chaos, he's what you all would know as a 'Vampire.'"
The room was filled with various murmurs and gasps, finally Ren decided to speak, his voice shaking ever so slightly, "Vampire? Why is Nora fighting a Vampire?"
To their discomfort Naga chose not to answer, instead turning back towards the screen.
The size difference between the two was unnerving, but the worst part was the feeling that both of the individuals gave off. The air around them was heavy, almost suffocatingly so, the boy couldn't help but grasp his chest tight as he prepared himself, his hands tightened around his black knife as he did his best to hold it tightly.
No one could speak, instead opting to silently watch everything unfold in front of them. The strange overwhelming presence from the scream began to grow heavier, a thick heavy fog falling upon their shoulders.
"Thanks for Waiting." Lie flinched upon hearing the massive man's voice, his words boomed, echoing through the otherwise silent park. Despite the immense pressure he felt the woman in front of him did nothing other than continue to read her book. "Nora Valkyrie, The Princess of the True Ancestors…" Finally her turquoise eyes shifted, glancing and paying attention to the massive man in front of her.
For but a moment the silence was interrupted as Nora found a boost of strength, "Wait, I'm a princess?!" However, a question then unfolded in front of them.
Blake blinked, her golden eyes scanning the screen in front of her, her ears twitching, "What did he mean by a True ancestor?"
This time, thankfully Naga did speak up, "A True Ancestor is an originator if you will. The root of all Vampires within their universe, suffice to say they were incredibly powerful vampires with the ability to warp reality to fit their needs."
Surprisingly it was Yang that caught onto the 'were' portion, "Were? What do you mean were?"
Naga chuckled, "Were, because there were True Ancestor's at one point. However…" He turned towards dear little Nora, "most of them were wiped from existence by the White Princess."
It took a while for his words to sink in, several eyes fell upon the Nora on screen, while they didn't know just how powerful these Vampires were, the fact that they were all wiped out by a single individual still had their nerves on end.
Upon hearing those words, Lie Ren, nearly dropped his blade, a True Ancestor? His thoughts flashed back to the silly girl who had been keeping him company for the last few weeks. Her ferocious hunger proved to be the most memorable thing. As his thoughts flashed to the little time they spent together, playing around, talking, finding another person as lonely as he, he couldn't believe that she was someone as dangerous as a True Ancestor… his thoughts flashed back to the first night.
"Daww~ We're just meant to be Ren!" Nora shifted closer to Ren, the slight distance between them closing as they held one another close.
"It seems like Nora's hunger is the same in this universe as well." Nora gasped loudly as she stared in mock insult, her turquoise eyes falling upon Weiss of whom only gave her the slightest smile.
"How rude! I only have a vicious hunger for Ren's pancakes!"
Pyrrha decided to chime in, hoping that things were still the same, "And Jaune's cooking, and Ren's cooking."
Suddenly she was knocked over as Nora launched herself at her teammate, "Pyrrha not you too! I thought we were sisters!"
Her heart swelled as she gazed upon Nora, a smile upon the orangette's face. A raucous of laughter filled the room as Pyrrha suddenly lashed out pulling Nora into a hug. Some things haven't changed at least.
Red consumed his vision, a small body ripped to shreds, organs, chunks of flesh, and blood fluttered through the small alleyway. His hands warm and drenched from a fresh kill, his heart pulsed quickly as his blood ran hot.
The laughter suddenly came to a halt as they took in Ren's inner thoughts.
"Yes, Nero I had almost given up on you, it was quite the long wait." His thoughts of the past cleared, his strained eyes continued onto the scene in front of him. Once more his blood burned, his heart beat into his ears as he waited for his chance.
Emerald held her hands against her ears,"This is… this is really creepy… and why does it sound like my own heart's beating so loudly?"
"Apologies, sometimes a bit of residue from the world comes over."
Jaune suddenly decided to break his own silence, "Wait, does that mean that eerie feeling from before was because of this universe?" And like before, his question was left unanswered, all eyes falling back onto the screen as it continued to play.
In his concentration he missed the conversation unfolding in front of him. Instead he concentrated on the feeling in his blood, as his eyes burned hot he prepared himself to strike when the time was right. The man in front of him was anything but a man, he was a monster, born from the urge for strength. Inside his large form hundreds of beasts lurked. Despite his current stance, he was dangerous, incredibly so, Lie's blood begged him forward. He needed to kill, but needed to wait, his thoughts concentrated on a single moment.
Ruby shivered, she couldn't get used to the man in front of her. Her eyes flickered again, "I don't… it's like he's… like he's a mass of Darkness, almost like I was looking at a pool of negative emotions, or like a mass amalgamation of Grimm."
Though Ozpin didn't speak, he felt something similar, a tiny pool of magic bestowed upon him sparked within his soul. The thing in front of him was dangerous, and he hoped that no such thing existed within their world.
"So is anyone else bothered by how murderous that Ren is?" Oscar however, couldn't help himself. "I mean, his thoughts have all been towards killing the man in front of him. I get that he's dangerous but it doesn't feel like he's thinking of him like a person but rather… prey?"
"An apt description, from both of you."
The conversation drew on, and in the moment when he was most vulnerable was when Lie struck. As silently as he could he dashed from his hidden safety into the cruel world in front of him.
"Go Ren go!" Once more, several eyes fell upon Nora, "What?" She shrugged as if this was the most normal thing to say, "He's against Ren and I! He obviously can't be a good guy!"
A few murmurs of agreement later, and things fell silent once more.
He could feel the cold touch of death upon his frail form as he drew closer. Still the man didn't turn around, this was his chance, however in an instant a black beast erupted from the back of Nero Chaos—a fitting name for one so corrupt. The dog-like beast flew towards him, 'Don't close my eyes, don't close my eyes.' In an instant his black dagger cut through the beast like butter. However its form remained, an ink like blob surrounded him, prying his form to the ground and forcing him into stillness. He was stuck, caught unable to move or assist, he had become a liability for Nora. He'd failed in his attempt to perceive its death.
"WAIT WHAT!? WAS THAT A GRIMM!?" Weiss' shrill voice nearly shattered a few eardrums as she jumped back. Albeit, she wasn't the only one suddenly freaked out by the sudden realization.
Jaune shivered, "I… that was the bad feeling wasn't it? Is he seriously made out of Grimm?" Naga simply shook his head, turning towards Ruby whose eyes were currently flickering madly.
"No." He stated cooly, "Though I suppose seeing as he's a vampire, Ruby's eyes would probably be similar to an intense sunlight." He pressed a button pausing the screen, realizing just how freaked out everyone was. "We may want to take a moment, this next bit is a little on the heavy side."
Yang, who was nearly freaking out, rushed over to her sister's side, pressing her hand against her shoulder till she calmed down. "Heavy? Heavier than that?!"
"Things won't go as smoothly as one would hope. Just uh, take a bit of time okay?" Though he paused for a moment before deciding to give them a bit more information, "It'll be sort of explained, but Nero isn't a Grimm. He however, is not as he seems… though he's far more terrifying than any Grimm you may have faced."
The group froze remembering the various Grimm they faced prior, the hound being the most recent of the monstrosities they've faced, Ruby finally cutting the silence, "What?"
"You'll uh; get to see why in just a moment."
"LIE!" Nora's voice called out to him, or at least he thought it did, he found himself unable to concentrate as his mind proved unfocused and his vision grew blurry.
"Unfortunate for you. A surprise attack will not work on me. If anything enters my territory even if I don't notice it, my familiars are trained to respond and intercept on their own."
Lie watched Nora flinch as she gripped her hands into a balled fist. Their plan was deemed to fail from the start, which meant that things would prove to be much harder going forward from here on out.
"So you've deteriorated to the point where you can't even use your Marble Phantasm? Yet you still challenge me?" His voice was indignant at a complete lack of concern in his low earthy growls.
Several crude growls resonated from JNPR's location, "Just you wait! I'll crush you, you arrogant prick!" The ferocity in Nora's voice caused Oscar, the closest person to her who wasn't incised to flinch.
Weiss tried to scoot away, hopefully her teammates could calm her down, but when her gaze fell upon Jaune and Pyrrha they weren't better off. "Nora will show you your place, just you wait." Jaune spoke with absolute confidence in his teammate, though his hand was balled into a tight fist as he had to watch his friends be assaulted by this thing, and they were unable to help. Pyrrha wasn't much better, she had been the one to die, but having to watch her teammates suffer? That was absolutely unthinkable!
"I don't need anything like that…"
He could hear the hesitation in Nora's voice, even as she prepared herself for combat.
"Then you are a fool…" Opening his cloak the darkness within the large man began to swell, a massive cat like beast which matched him in all his massive size stepped forward. Killing intent radiated from its body as every step filled the ground in darkness below it. "And you will suffer for that arrogance."
Their anger faded as a sinister ambiance began to fill the theater. Several people began to hobble close together, Nora finding her way towards Ren. Nora, Ren, Oscar, and Emerald all shifted close to one another. Blake, Yang, Penny, and Ruby held together, and Jaune, Pyrrha, and Weiss grouped up as well.
Blake's voice came out as a short whisper, "That's… that's just not right."
"Why is the ground turning dark? What kind of, what even is that?" Yang's grip tightened around Blake's as they both shifted into an uncomfortable silence.
The massive cat rushed forwards, claws drawn and fangs bared, pouncing upon the smaller vampire it prepared to finisher her in one strike.
In an instant Nora moved forward, stepping within the beast's range as her nails extended. Her own claws bore forth, in a single moment she slammed the creature into the ground, the earth beneath her shattered into splinters as her powerful strike splattered the beast into black blood.
"Fine then, there is no reason in following through with normal rules of a vampiric battle just to go against a dead apostle! NERO CHAOS! FOR YOU ALONE THESE CLAWS ARE ENOUGH!" Nora's weapons, now bared in front of her, her once sleek fingers turned into ten razor-like blades, the ink-like blood splashed around her as she cleared herself and prepared for combat. Her pupils dilated, slit like that of a cat she began to approach.
They group really wanted to cheer on Nora, even as the anger exuding from the young woman on screen was palpable. However, they all found themselves forced into silence, the thick heavy feeling still pressing against them, refusing to release its hold.
Nero wasted no time in preparing his counter attack. From beneath his cloak black tar dripped forward, his shadow morphed into an amorphous pool of black. From his depths, beast after beast formed. From reptiles to massive mammals his form started to change. The monsters rampaged forward, claws and fangs gnashing as they assaulted the lone woman in front of them.
Even through numbers they found their progress halted, waltzing through fangs and claws as she moved like a dancer, her pale form pressed forward. Strike after powerful strike she rendered the massive beasts in her way as nothing more than puddles of blood and bits. Her claws cut through them like a hot knife tearing through butter. When one would come from above she'd move towards it, unyielding in her advance—it would be torn asunder with a single strike.
The air around her morphed into pure killing intent, her body radiated hatred and concentration as each blow sent chunks of flesh flying. One creature attacked her from below as another struck from her side. With no hesitation, she crushed the alligator below her with one powerful step, the earth splitting at her feet.
The sinister aura vanished, overtaken by the sheer amount of hatred and pressure being released from the Nora on screen. However, the pure feelings being concentrated upon the monster in front of her, somehow cleared the intense seeping ominous waves that had overtaken them.
Eventually the parties pulled apart, several flushed faces as they realized the closeness between them. Though some, such as Blake and Yang opted to stay close to one another. Penny and Ruby as well opted to keep close, neither really comfortable with parting at this point.
"Okay… okay so we can breathe now… that was, that was something." Oscar panted between heavy breathes, as Emerald placed a firm hand on his shoulder to help him calm down.
"Quite, that was-" Weiss honestly didn't have words, even as the oppressive feeling finally shifted away from them her body still shivered. However, she felt both her hands being squeezed, her sky blue eyes shifting left and right catching sight of Sapphires and Emeralds. "Thank you."
Jaune spoke for the both of them, Pyrrha still not sure how she truly felt at the moment, but an olive branch never hurt, "Anytime."
"Okay, now that we're all calmed down." Nora got up, "Holy crud I'm awesome! I'm ripping right through those things! Imagine if I could do that against grimm!" She extended her fingers, wiggling them as if she was trying to will claws to suddenly form. "That would be so cool!"
"Indeed it would be!" Penny cheered as well, the thought of being able to dispatch Grimm so efficiently truly would have been amazing.
"Also do you see the way that she was crushing them?! That was so cool! I don't know how strong these things are compared to actual Grimm, but she's handling them like they're nothing! It's amazing!" Ruby was practically vibrating, small pedals shifting around her form. Of course, everyone chose to stay quiet about the realization of what Nero himself was doing.
As the massive bear attempted to tear her asunder she moved into its zone, her claw jammed straight into its gullet. In one mighty swing she bludgeoned another in front of her. Slow and steady she made her way towards Nero Chaos, her turquoise eyes flashing gold as her body acted on it's own.
Even as she drew closer and closer Nero did not move. Standing his ground, a flurry of beasts erupted forth, stampeding towards the oncoming demon in front of him. And just as quickly as they reached her, was as quickly as they were removed. Mustering her strength with one powerful blow she sliced the air in front of her, a vacuum of power and wind sliced through every beast till he was all that remained.
"This is the end Nero." From her low stance she motioned upwards, her claws ripping him in twain from groin to head. In two pieces the once tall man flopped to the ground, blood splattered and dripped around her.
Yang of all people nearly jumped out of her seat at the sudden amount of pure violence displayed in front of them. "HOLY SHIT!" Sure they'd seen Nora literally rip through a bunch of 'animals' but when she split the man in half, slicing through him like a newly forged blade.
"That was… wow…" Pyrrha was shocked, in all her life she'd never seen anyone quite as skilled, or as powerful. Watching the Nora on screen was less like watching a human and more like watching a mighty beast rampage.
Nora herself felt astounded, she could barely fathom what kind of training or natural talent to reach a peak of powerful display such as they'd just witnessed.
"I suppose, we can all agree that she was splendid?" Weiss verbalized everyones thoughts. Seeing as the screen stilled, she decided it was best to open a conversation at this point.
"I agree, the way that the White Princess tore through them, it…" Ren tried to find the words. "It wasn't just a display of skill. While she was indeed skillful, always on guard and slicing when she needed to. She also tore through them like a savage beast."
Blake nodded her head in agreement, "Right, it was like as if an animal could learn combat abilities."
Oscar blinked, "What do you mean?"
"Well…" She tried to find the words, thankfully Pyrrha cut in.
"On the whole, animals tend to be stronger than humans or Faunus. While we are able to train and hone our abilities and with the use of Aura we can surpass them." Then she paused, "But imagine a tiger if you will, as cunning as they are would only be able to do so much. They are unable to yield weapons, and must rely on their claws. But their way of fighting is purely instinctual." She turned back to the screen for but a moment, "What we saw, it was so many things at once, truly a thing of absolute beauty." She couldn't help but feel admiration for the Moon Princess, "She not only showed a ferocity and instinct within the strongest of animals, but also a cunning and skill found in humans and faunus. She was able to combine her overwhelming strength, the sheer instinct and killing intent, as well as the timing and precise control of both animal and human or faunus." She paused, realizing just how small her world had been till now, in death she realized how weak she was, but in watching the scene unfold she realized how far she could possibly still go.
Naga smirked as he watched the conversation unfold in front of him, eventually bursting into a small chuckle as he paid attention to Pyrrha's words.
Jaune eyed him suspiciously, cocking his eyebrow ever so slightly, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing much, just-" He took a sip from a glass in front of him, "You all have so much to learn. You've all come a long way from the start." His eyes fell upon Weiss and Jaune especially, "And you all have so much you can be. Just that, there is a world where you'll see. Where a few small changes truly change each of you." He turned towards Pyrrha, "You may yet get to see yourself display a ferocity similar to Ms. Valkyrie soon enough."
This got everyone to blink, what could he mean? Well, they'd have to watch in the future. For now the screen began to flicker back on.
Even in his disorientated state, he could still see how powerful the woman in front of him was. And yet despite all of this, she was in a weakened state, nowhere near her full power, all because of a chance meeting between him and her. "Did she do it?"
"Oh, he shouldn't have said that." Several of the more genre savvy members of the group murmured in agreement.
"Why not friend Blake?"
Ruby of course chose to answer, "That means it isn't over Penny, not when something like that is asked so early."
"Oh."
Lie couldn't help but feel awe and horror at the wake of death in front of him. The orange haired beauty stood, surrounded by chunks and gore of her fallen victims, the bisected form of Nero Chaos scattered to her sides.
Though concern quickly replaced his awe as she buckled forward, "Nora!" She was exhausted, he could tell from here that her breath was running out, even as she stood victorio…
"Is it Possible? That you still have that much fight left in you."
Penny finally caught on, "Oh! Oh no. That is not good at all."
'No no! He can't possibly be alive!' Lie's hopes shattered as the once 'dead' individual began to rise forth. His split parts began to gather and his form stood once more. "Even after such a severe deterioration of your power? Truly, you must be the executioner, the chosen of the true ancestors."
Lie clenched his jaw, despite being half of a man in a literal sense, Nero stood once more. "I have been warned not to mess with the White Vampire Princess. Looks like the advice of my peers was accurate."
Yang flinched, dread pooling in her gut as memories of her brief fight with the queen of the Grimm resurfaced. "Dude what the heck, that's just like Salem!"
Ruby took a moment as Yang's words sunk in, "Wait what?! You guys fought Salem?! Are you insane?!"
Yang, Ren, and Jaune all coughed awkwardly as their friends gave them various looks of concern and trepidation. Oscar and Emerald simply looked away.
"Fought is a… strong word." Jaune chimed in, as he turned back towards Yang and Ren. "More like, she knocked Ren and I out pretty quickly. And Yang punched her a few times and she exploded, but then she kind of did-" He waved back at the screen, "That. He did that."
Several cold shudders went through the room at the realization of how dangerous their foe truly was.
"You're still alive, even after taking that much damage huh?" Her lungs burned as she watched Nrvnqsr stand in front of her once more. "But despite that, with the power of those familiars you use, you won't be able to kill me no matter how many of them you use against me. Besides… you can't possibly defeat me in that kind of condition."
"Familiars? Is that all they look like to you?" She did not like the way he phrased that, dread filled the core of her being as she prepared herself to strike once more. "It was only me who was fighting."
"Wait I'm confused, what do they mean by familiars?" Nora turned towards Weiss, "Were those things supposed to be like Weissy's summons?"
"Please don't call me that Nora." Though Weiss thought for a moment, "I suppose it's similar… but he just stated they weren't Familiars. What could he mean by that."
Confusion struck her as he continued his monologue, the longer he spoke the more time she had to gain her strength back. "If you had been at full strength, you would have figured it out immediately. Take a good look at it with those golden eyes. Can you not see?!" She flinched as black mist began to form around him, "The chaos, the 666 elements of the beast from which I draw my power?!"
Before it happened, before Lie called out to her, she was already turning around. "NORA!" A pillar of black goo stretched out in an attempt to consume her, with a powerful strike she ripped it in half once more, the parts which splattered took form. Various serpents struck at her, binding and coiling her around her body restraining her to the ground. Even as she struggled, her weakened body succumbed to the innumerable serpents which brought her to her knees. In a pool of black tar she could only struggle to break free as Nero's half twisted form approached.
"Do you wish to stop the chaos that dwells in my body, Princess of the True Ancestors? Even if you were in top physical condition, it would be impossible. Chaos cannot be destroyed. The oil from which I draw my power consists of five hundred combinations of my beast selves melted together.."
There was a bit of silence in the room, "What?" Yang was just a bit more than a little confused. "I don't get it, so like, was that all just him? What does he mean by beast selves?"
Once more Weiss began to ponder the meaning of the nearly nonsensical comments made by Nero Chaos. "I… I suppose he means that, he is all of those beasts? And that they're him?" The thought didn't quite make sense to him. Of course, none of their questions were answered by Naga who simply shrugged, urging them back to the screen.
She continued to struggle as the tar began to envelope her, even as she sunk into the pit of blackness she continued her fight. "How… how is it that even now you still have so much power Nero Chaos?" She felt the pulling sensation halt as he stared down upon her.
"For me… physical damage means nothing. Chaos cannot be harmed because it has no single inherent form. I am simply a mixture of 666 elements of the beast. I am a manifestation of the same number of lifeforms. Which means…" Shock filled her as he crushed his own head, however a voice from behind her caught her attention shortly after. "It matters not whether you crush this head or mutilate this half of my body."
Despite being unable to turn around she could feel his dark presence take form behind her. "My true shape has no physical form to begin with. If any of my lesser forms are killed, all they need to do is come back inside me and are revived as part of the composite self." The wave of tar flooded past her and reformed onto the battered figure in front of her. She needed to find a way to gain free, but in her weakened self she found herself unable to move.
"If you wish to destroy this self, then you will have to do so by damaging all 666 composite selves in a single instant."
"Whoa wait hold on." Jaune put his hand up, the other pressed against his head as he tried to think. "Does that mean you'd have to completely destroy his body? How much force would that take? Couldn't he hide one part of him?" Fundamentally this sounded weaker than Salem's true immortality, but with her they could at least hold her down. They'd at least weakened her briefly and forced her to not come back. But this? It sounded like he would almost immediately heal.
"That's." Ruby really couldn't find the words, just like Jaune she was trying to think of a way to defeat him, it was in both their natures to plan around the unknown, but this was ridiculous. "That's insane. What would we need to do?" Her eyes flickered momentarily, Naga's words coming back to her. "Right, I suppose we'd have to use my eyes?"
Naga shrugged, "Perhaps? Again I'm not certain if they would work." Though as he turned back to the screen, "Unfortunately he isn't the worst thing in that world."
That didn't boil over well. "What?! But he's so similar to Salem! How can he not be the worst thing in that world?!" Emerald couldn't begin to fathom something worse.
"Well for one, Nora would be if she was at full power." Then he turned towards Ren, "Ren is actually pretty terrifying, just in a different way." The screen briefly went to the moon, "The Moon wishes to destroy all life on Earth as well." Once more the screen flickered to a chalice of some sort, "Sometimes the world itself tries to erase its own inhabitants."
Weiss took a moment, "The… the moon and the world? Also Earth?"
"Oh right, Earth is the name of their planet. And yes, their planet and several others are very much alive."
The thought sat heavily with the group.
Lie watched from a distance, still unable to move, 'What should I do? If I don't do anything we'll both die… but this guy can't be destroyed…" He continued to wrack his brain, trying to formulate a plan. "Damn it!" He struggled as much as he could at least till he saw something. 'Lines?!' Along the black ink which covered his body he could make out the faint lines of death which littered the gooey substance.
Oscar was confused, though a part of him felt awfully terrified at the same time, those lines didn't sit well with him, "Lines? Why are there lines? Why is that so important?"
Nora of course ignored the comment, "Renny don't do it! Don't sacrifice yourself!" She couldn't help herself, her hands began to tremble at the thought of Ren throwing his life away for hers. However, when she felt a tight grip form around her shaking palms, her heart calmed.
She met Ren's eyes, "You know I'm going to, right?" She knew he would, she would do the same of course. So all she could do was nod.
Even as the two of them had a conversation he sliced his knife upon the lines formed on the tar. In an instant it vanished into nothingness. His eyes darted back to the forms in front of him, black tar rose above and began to consume Nora. His heart raced as he got on his feet, with little hesitation he made his way towards the towering beast in front of him. Even as he drew closer, more beasts formed from behind Nero.
Without even being paid the slightest bit of attention by the main body, his smaller selves moved forward in an attempt to eliminate their perceived threat.
"Ah… it's a human… I'm under-nourished now since my body was just torn apart."
In a flash Lie jumped to the side as a massive bird crushed the ground from where he once was. "Damn you!" In an instant the bird's head fell to the ground as it's form vanished into nothingness. "Let go of her, your target is me!"
For the first time Nero's attention was upon him, "You're telling me you want to go up against me?"
"That's right! Let go of Nora!" With the last of his sanity at its end, he dashed towards his assured end.
Yang smiled, "Whoa, I have to give you credit Ren. That's pretty badass." It didn't help that he was going so far for someone he apparently only recently met, but at the same time someone he'd connected deeply with. "Gotta say I approve."
Blake felt somewhat guilty, her past transgressions coming back to her. Though, as she watched the Ren on screen walk towards danger, walk towards protecting his friend she felt her heart swell. She had long since promised not to run away, "I agree… I'm jealous, even though the odds are stacked against you, you're persevering all for Nora."
Ren smiled, "Even though that isn't me, I would very much do the same." Nora's hand clenched around his, both allowing themselves to bask in one another's presence. Their friends simply smiled, though none could escape the harrowing feeling pulsing through the theater.
"The arrogance of your challenge, it has ruined my good mood. You are going to pay for this human." Unlike a lion hunting a mouse, Nero began to pour out more force. Lie knew that he was trying to extinguish his life in one massive stampede.
'I know I stand no chance against the thing in front of me, but Nora said there was nothing I couldn't kill. Then… then I have to at least save her!' A massive feline pounced at him, in an instant his blade trailed through the lines on its legs, causing the remaining bits to fly behind him. 'Otherwise there is no point in me being here!'
Ruby's eyes flickered once more, but for a completely different reason. "Whoa what?! What was that!? He just… what kind of weapon is he using?!" Nora's earlier display had put her in awe, but seeing the obviously frail Ren cut through that massive tiger?! That was insane.
Naga did decide to answer, "He's using a simple pocket knife. It's nothing too special, just a gift from his family."
"It must be made of something special then, yes?" Naga simply shook his head at Penny's words.
"Nope, it's just a simple knife."
Blake's ears perked, "What was that about there being nothing he couldn't kill?"
"Well, in theory you can kill just about anything with enough effort." Weiss was trying to make sense of this world.
Blake shook her head, "No, I feel that there's more meaning to it."
Ozpin within Oscar's head was beginning to understand what it truly meant.
Ducking beneath a massive manta ray, his blade sliced it in half. Though, this cost him the attention he needed to avoid an attack to his leg. The beast he'd failed to finish gnawed at his flesh, its sharp fangs bearing into his leg. Taking the moment he sliced its neck, unable to concentrate on the lines any further he simply released himself.
Desperation filled him as he drew closer, his path impeded by monster after monster. His mind unfocused and hazy, he could only concentrate on getting to Nora. However, in his desperation he missed the ambush, in an instant he was skewered on the sharpened horns of a hybrid beast. It's bull-like antlers ripped into it, skewering him into the air and sending him crashing to the ground below with a powerful shake of it's head.
"REN!" Ren nearly jumped from his seat as several people screamed out his name! Nora, Jaune, Pyrrha, Oscar, and even Emerald all panicked, their voices hoarse from the sudden increased volume of their shouts. "No no no no no no! Please don't!" Nora was practically in tears at this point. The thought of Ren dying, or being mauled, or anything bad happening to him, it tore her apart!
Jaune himself was looking around the screen, "Why if Ren and Nora are there, why aren't I there? Why is no one helping them?!" Realistically he knew that they could simply not be part of this world! But that didn't stop him from worrying or panicking, a familiar dread forming in his stomach, the inability to help when he wished he could. Thankfully he felt a hand rest upon each shoulder. Both Weiss and Pyrrha worriedly eyed him. "Hah… sorry… just give me a moment please." They both nodded, though their attention was pulled over to Nora who was still holding Ren tightly.
"Let's make a deal…" He could barely hear Nero's voice, "you will be digested alive. Little by little, as if you were melting…"
Blake shuddered, "That's disgusting… and horrible." The thought of being eaten and digested slowly while being aware of it all was just a bit more than a little upsetting.
Unable to concentrate on the cruel words, his only thought lay with Nora who he couldn't save. His eyes grew dim as the beasts surrounded his prone form.
'Where am I?' His body grew hot as the beasts made their slow pace towards him, their fangs borne as they wasted little time in melding onto him. Hot tears streamed down his face as he prepared to face his death. His body grew hot as they converged on him, their inky forms consuming him.
"I must say, I'm quite impressed by Mr. Ren's resolve." Oscar's aura flashed as Ozpin took over for a moment, "And yet even while at his own death doorstep he still worries for Ms. Valkyrie more." Several of the others agreed, Nora however, was hoping things wouldn't come to that. Her arms clenched around Ren, still trembling.
WHY RESIST
I DON'T WANT THAT
WHY DO I HAVE TO HURT
WHY AM I DYING
I DON'T WANT TO DIE
I DON'T WANT TO BE IN PAIN
I DON'T WANT TO BE EATEN
BUT I'M DYING
I'LL DIE HERE
Then as his mind gave way to the darkness, as he gave up the ability to resist its terrible pull, only one thought started to rise as he was tortured.
Nora officially wanted to heave as she heard Ren's inner thoughts. "No, please, I don't like this, I don't like this at all." Her body wouldn't stop trembling, hot tears leaked between her tightly shut eyes, "Please don't die Ren."
Ren for his part did his best to hold his partner close, his arms wrapped around her, he wanted to say things would be alright, but he wasn't so sure.
Kill Kill Kill KILL KILL KIIILLL!
A shrill screech echoed through the theater halls, the sudden tense feeling vanished, instead they were enveloped by an overwhelming amount of bloodlust. Before they barely felt it, as Nora had been concentrating on her enemy whom they'd presumed as a vile beast. Now though? The bloodlust ran through their skin, their hairs standing on end as the blazing chill overcame each and everyone of them. Even Nora had to release Ren for a moment, her tears drying instantly as her heart pumped violently within her chest.
"Whoa what?!" Yang was nearly thrown back, as the screen leaked with violence.
Terror filled them, forcing their mouths shut from any further reactions as they watched the next few events unfold in front of them.
These thoughts ran through Lie's mind as the cretins gnawed at his flesh. All thoughts of fear faded as his world went blank, his vision coursed red, dilated pupils scanned his surroundings. Crimson lines fluttered through the sky tracing his foes as his vision grew dim. Ink like beasts tore at his flesh only to scatter into the void, chunks and pieces parsed upwards until only dark tar like blood rained down.
Where there once was a downed figure surrounded on all sides by a plethora of beasts, a slumped figure began to rise. Blood of tar rained upon him as the once proud beasts splattered the ground around him. "Heh..." The once downed figure stood up, his face craned towards the sky, a twisted smile upon his lips, his small chuckle twisted and warped into maniacal cackles, "HAHAHAHAHAHAH!" The blood which scattered into the sky above rained upon him, the once fragile aura twisted and convulsed into one of pure terror.
To everyone's surprise, it was Ruby that spoke first, "Holy shit." No one could even think of berating the young woman, as her simple words aptly put together all their thoughts.
The blazing heat fell into a frozen chill, the bloodlust oozing from the screen practically solidified into a thick foggy muck. None could form words as they watched the instant transformation of their friend. No longer was the young man afraid for his and his friends' lives. Instead stood a predator, not looking at a foe, instead looking at it's next victim.
And that victim?
DEATH, that was what stood in front of Nrvnqsr, the once frail boy he had so easily ripped into was no longer there. Instead the visage of the Grim Reaper clad in a school uniform laughed in the face of overwhelming odds. A chill ran down his nonexistent spine, a cold sweat dripped down his brow.
This thing in front of him required his full attention, anger rose in his body as he realized he would be concentrating on a human.
"YOU WILL BE KILLED BY ME!"
"HAHAHAH. You want to kill me Monster?" Lie had never felt this good before, all the impulses he'd kept in check meaning nothing now. Clearing his drenched hair from his vision he simply stood there, smiling as he hunched over. "Very Well..." The knife in his hand flickered, his fingers twisting the blade into a reverse hold, "Come then, let's die together Nero Chaos..." He'd never felt as alive as he had till this day, facing down a monster, no not a monster, a simple vampire of countless lives oh how easy it would be to pick it apart.
Yang wanted to make a witty comment, and wanted to joke about how cool Ren was being. But she couldn't, she felt as if an icy cold hand was wrapped around her throat, squeezing around her neck forcing her words shut.
She wasn't the only one, Jaune wanted to reassure his team, wanted to say how the good guy was going to win now. But looking at his friend, at his brother on screen practically permeating with bloodlust. Well he wasn't so sure anymore, and despite himself, he found his own body trembling in fear. Thankfully he wasn't alone, silently he thanked the two near him.
Ren himself stared in awe, this him in front of him, his emotions were tranquil. One would expect anger, or hate to be resonating from him. No, what Ren saw was someone who was at the peak of calmness and peace with himself. That thought frightened Ren, far more than he felt that it should have.
Even as the beasts drew on him from all sides, their motions were slow, as if time stood still from him, his magenta colored eyes saw everything. Without even an ounce of wasted movement he stalked forward, as slow as a walk he pressed on. Before the beasts knew what happened, even as they went to collide with his previous location, the four creatures splattered into chunks, their forms no longer returning to their origins.
As if nothing mattered he made steady pace forward, not even at a jog he simply began his trek. The next to impose upon him, another larged saber fanged cat. Before it could poise to strike he was upon it, no signs of him having moved his blade ran through the point of origin. Unlike the previous beasts which turned into chunks, this one vanished into a form of nothingness. Where there once was something, there was no longer anything.
"You… what did you do?" Lie gave no answer, instead he approached, his pace steady and slow. "Very well… I will acknowledge you as an obstacle."
Beast after beast came his way, but every time it was the same thing. Their movements barely registered as anything but a snail's pace to Lie. His eyes burned, urging him forward, to kill the thing in front of him. And so he answered, his pace steadily rose as more monsters made their way to their death. His blade swift and precise, carving through the lines which spread through their bodies he acted like a human grinder.
His body completely and utterly entranced, acting without his guidance he sliced through more and more, their forms staying dead, their bodies no longer reaching back to their point of origin. For the larger ones, he'd make simple incisions, stabbing them at their point of existence. A massive bull three times his size rampaged towards him, in an instant he was already on its side, the stab was swift, practiced, instant. He paid it no attention as he continued, he answered every threat with a swift stab or an instant slice: nothing lasted in front of him.
Their strength, their speed, their durability, it meant nothing before his eyes of death.
Eventually the overwhelming bloodlust began to fade, receding back into the screen itself. The thick fear gripping everyone's hearts subsided, "Whoa." Penny of course spoke first, these new feelings were far more intense than she had ever thought possible. She of course had known fear before, but having the sensation of actually being able to 'feel' it was something she had not experienced till just then.
"Whoa is right." Nora finally recovering from her previous worries, stared on screen. "This Renny is-" She couldn't find the words.
Thankfully Blake had them for her, "He's intense." Her ears twitched as she watched the screen in front of her. "It's similar to the way that Nora fought earlier."
Pyrrha hummed, agreeing with the assessment, but also throwing in her two sense. "Right, though I suppose it's closer to say. Where Nora was a force of nature, rampaging in her way. This Ren is almost all skill, he's moving like the wind, or a viper. He isn't applying any strength, nor is he even really 'seeing' his opponent in front of him. He's not fighting to fight, he's fighting with the sole thought that he's going to eliminate what's in front of him." Pyrrha herself had never experienced that kind of feeling before, not even Cinder had acted upon such a premise, instead choosing to toy with her through their battle. "Both of them are incredibly overwhelming, as if they were at the peak of killing, not fighting."
Yang nodded, "Right, neither of them, especially not Ren, were 'fighting'."
This caused Oscar to blink, "What?"
"Oh uh, what I meant is that they're not really 'fighting' in the sense they aren't trying to beat someone." Yang took a moment to try to think, "Well I suppose Nora was more on the beating end. Like she was fighting against a current sort of thing. But Ren? It's like Pyrrha said, he isn't even thinking of 'fighting'. He's simply going to kill Nero, that's all there is to it. Heck, he's not even filled with emotions! Look at the way he's attacking! It's all so precise." She clenched her fist, remembering her father's words and how far she had to go. "He only strikes when necessary, and those eyes of his… oh gods."
"Right!" Ruby jumped in, "I was wondering about that for a while now! Those eyes! Those lines, they're what's letting him cut through Nero's things. But unlike with Nora they aren't getting back up, why is that?"
Jaune finally chimed in, "I think… I think he can see death?" That got everyone looking at him. "I know I know! It's weird! But they kind of brought it up several times, and I thought it was weird. Ren himself just referred to his eyes as eyes of death!" He looked back at the screen, "Everytime he sliced at one of those lines, the creatures would fall apart. And unlike how after Nora sliced them, they wouldn't get up. So either it's something as terrifying as he's literally ending their existence, or he can stop their regeneration." He stopped for a moment, thinking about the earlier clues, "He did mention about how Nora told him that there was nothing he couldn't kill."
Blake blinked, "Right! I had brought that up before, so… they actually meant that quite literally."
That thought humbled the group, what a scary power.
Nrvnqsr could only stare in disbelief as his other selves were vanquished before him. His once prided immortality meant nothing before this frail human, "Why?! Even the princess couldn't destroy us, yet we are disappearing one after the other now. WHY!? WHY?! WHY?!" For the first time since the battle started, anger began to erode away at his calm facade.
"WHY MUST I FOCUS MY ENERGY INTO A SINGLE BODY?! WHY MUST I FIGHT WITH MY FULL FORCE JUST TO MATCH THE POWER OF THIS MERE HUMAN?!"
All of his remaining shadows began to form at his point of origin, his body began to shift as more and more lives gathered. "Nora must wait. Once I'm finished with the boy I'll absorb her…" And for the first time since the battle started he advanced forward.
"Right… I won't hold my breath… heh." Nora smiled as she prepared for Nero's end.
"Heck yeah!" Nora finally returned back to her previously cheery demeanor. She could practically feel the level of confidence her other self had in that Ren.
Emerald however didn't get it, "Nora, I don't know if now's the time to be celebrating. Looks like the big guy pulled out one last trump card." Emerald did her best not to look at the THING in front of them. It was terrifying, almost as if not more so than Salem was.
"Nah! It's more like his last resort, besides, now he's all in one spot for Renny to take him down in a single strike."
Naga stared at Nora, "Well I'll be, got it in one."
"HUMAN I'LL KILL YOU! I WILL MAKE YOU REALIZE THAT WITHIN ME, THERE IS A LIFE FORCE FAR BEYOND YOUR UNDERSTANDING!"
Lie barely had the time to register what was happening. All he could do was follow the command of his eyes, the burning sensation growing stronger as his vision sharpened. Behind the behemoth of a man a new figure formed, a massive arachnid like monster formed it's massive mandibles shook violently as it struck forward at his enclosing figure. It's towering claw struck forward in hopes of crushing him in one blow.
'My eyes are burning hot. They're hot… my head, my body, my blood! They command me to kill my enemy as soon as possible!' Yet, like every other Nero's forms up till now, it posed little threat. To him all stood still, only death awaited any who drew closer. And like that, with his small black knife he ripped the massive claw in twain. "Now I understand…"
Jaune couldn't help but cheer his brother on, finally the climax was before them. "GO REN! YOU CAN DO IT!"
He wasn't the only one as adrenaline began to pump through everyone's veins. Their eyes glued to the screen as the final bit of battle was surely coming to a close!
His focus on the massive beast all gathered at several important points. All lines of death had points of intersection, those sections were death itself, the very existence of all life! In an instant as his knife made contact with a single point upon the beast's abdomen, it vanished like everything had up till now nothing remained as it's existence was removed.
Pyrrha smiled, radiantly beaming at her friend's success. "Nora was right, this is definitely the end!" She could already see the flow of battle, Nero had given up any advantage he had. In all his worry and panic he made everything oh so much easier for the skilled Ren in front of them. He no longer had to hunt them all down one by one, instead could simply kill them en-mass.
"Ha… ha…. Ha…" With a short breath he examined the world around him, finally he understood his curse. Upon the very world below him lines, points of existence, the origins of life. He could spot the points at which life existed and sever them.
Blake swallowed, "Well… that answers our previous questions. It's far worse than what we thought, he really can erase something from existence." Despite her fear however, she found herself still awestruck at the action in front of her. Silently she cheered for her friend, hoping to see the beast bellow its last breath.
While he was caught up in his thoughts, Nero's shadow extended forward, moving with a speed few could follow, one more beast emerged, an armored equine attempted to skewer him in half. But in that same instant he moved, as the massive beast emerged he was already prone to strike, upon its head he stabbed a single point. His feet pressed against the head he lifted off before it too vanished into nothing.
"Friend Ren is incredibly impressive! He has nearly no wasted movements!" Penny's mind raced rapidly as it tried to keep up with the action on screen. The way that Ren was moving, not missing a beat, not allowing himself to be hit even once, it was absolutely awe inspiring!
Kicking off its vanishing form he began to descend, finally making his way towards his target. The panicked vampire began to scan for him; however, Lie wasn't fooled. As he drew closer another head sprouted forward. A massive dragon-shaped jaw moved to rip him to shreds, only for his knife to slice through the beast, his descent to the ground was preceded by the severing of Nero's arm. The force of the blow sent him skidding backwards, allowing for the severity of the situation to truly dawn upon one of the 27 Dead Apostles.
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG?!" WHY CAN'T I REGENERATE!"
"That thing! How can I be destroyed by just being cut?!"
Yang let loose a rucurious laughter, "Hahah! He's finally starting to realize how screwed he is!" She loved it! When the villain started to understand just how dire the situation was.
Nora jumped from her seat, nearly bowling Ren over, "Heck yeah! That's what you get for underestimating Renny so much!" All though no one else commented, they all agreed. During the entire fight, Neor had continued to insult Ren, not taking him seriously till it was too late.
Pyrrha realized something, "He's a lot like Cinder." Jaune blinked, having been one of the other few to fight the false maiden one on one.
"Huh, it does now doesn't it?" He remembered his 'fight' with her. How little she thought of him.
Weiss also agreed, "Right, she really likes taking her time." She had been out of Aura for quite some time while engaged with Cinder. She knew that the witch would have eventually killed her, but it felt like she was getting her jollies off instead.
Eventually a small smile crept up on Jaune and Ruby's faces. "Well, we should make use of that, now shouldn't we?"
Ruby nodded at Jaune's assessment, "I agree!" If she was going to underestimate them, well they would let her do so. "We'll have to plan it out later, but we can definitely make it look like we're far weaker than we really are."
Jaune agreed, "Right! It'll have to be you or myself though."
"Yeah, she'll have less info on us, and she'll probably think you're still the same unskilled boy right?"
Where once Jaune may have taken that as an insult, he knew how right she was, and how much better it would make their inevitable revenge, "Right!" Then he turned to Naga, "Naga, while we're here I don't suppose we could train perhaps?"
"Oh! I'm glad you asked! I meant to actually tell you guys this earlier, but there are full facilities we'll be able to use." He turned towards a clock on the wall, "This will be the last showing for the day. So we'll get settled in after this. Also, there is a training arena, you'll be able to challenge other versions of yourselves, or any foe that's appeared as well. You can use the time to hone your abilities without fear of dying."
This got everyone excited, but none more so than Pyrrha herself. Her hairs bristled at the thought of being able to fight other versions of herself, or perhaps at being able to challenge Cinder Fall over and over. "Excellent." She couldn't help but release a satisfied coo.
Before him, the once frail human moved, his hands fell to his sides as he approached Nrvnqsr. What once appeared to be a pale human, now was shadowed by death itself. The being in front of him was no human, no it was a monster. A monster that surpassed all monsters!
Subconsciously he made a single step back, "Fall back?! ME!? RETREATING FROM A HUMAN?!"
"NO NO NO NO NO!"
"IMPOSSIBLE!"
His shadows consumed him, what remaining lives he had gathered together as his form shifted into a massive hulking beast. Twice the size he once was, a monster of pure muscle and strength he dashed forward. In a flash, faster than any bullet, faster than any earthly vehicle he was upon Lie in that single millisecond.
Emerald, who had been skeptical earlier, finally understood what the others meant, "I see… he really is just making a last stand." She had never been great at seeing the whole picture, but perhaps she could learn? That would be good, if she could concentrate just a little more perhaps she could truly improve, not just in combat but as a person.
"YOU'RE GOING TO KILL ME HUMAN?!"
But even that wasn't enough…
"That's what you get for trying to make him suffer before you kill him. Lie's already killed me once…" Nora smiled as she rested upon a tree in the distance.
"See! The other me got it! He spent too much time being a big jerkwad!" Nora pointed at the screen, glad her otherself had seen the big picture as well.
In an instant Lie was upon him, no matter how fast Nero Chaos was, he was faster. Silence filled the air as his blade met its mark. All of Nero's momentum came to a halt as Lie's blade pierced his point of existence.
"What… what the hell are you?" Lie could barely hear his voice, his blood still boiling in his body, his eyes wide open as he stared at the lines in front of him. In that single moment, Nero Chaos' 666 lives came to an end. "How can this be?" His once domineering voice nothing more than a whisper. "So… you're to be my death…" And like that the vampire was slain, his existence removed from reality.
Lie's body hit the floor, his strength sapped as his eyes ached. Pulling his glasses from his pocket, he slipped them on. "So… it's over."
"Good Job Lie." Were the last words he heard before blanking out.
Finally the world began to close, everyone released a heavy breath they hadn't realized they were holding till now. "That was intense." Yang started to get up, hopefully the next few worlds wouldn't be so heavy. Though, as everyone was about to get up to stretch, the screen flickered on for just a moment.
"Hmmm…" A young woman clad in deep blues and silvers stared off into the distance. Her round emerald eyes scanned the night sky, while her long flaming hair flicked to the side.
"Everything alright, Saber?" A young man with soft blue eyes and wheat colored hair placed his hand upon her shoulder.
Pyrrha turned her attention towards her Master, "I'm unsure… it felt like the connection to the Grail was suddenly cut." She tried to ponder what it meant, "Something happened tonight, as if… as if the world was changing." She didn't like that, the Holy Grail War was already dangerous enough, but it felt as if something outside their expectations was about to run rampant.
"I don't like it either…" A young woman with long white hair tied into a ponytail, drew closer to the duo. "I felt something wrong as well… hopefully it doesn't mean anything strange…" Weiss took a moment, scanning the area, her brow furrowing as she tried to find someone who wasn't there. "Where is Archer?"
Far above the City Skylight, stood a man clad in red, with darkened skinned, spikey white hair, and murky blue eyes. His focus far beyond the city, his vision homing onto two individuals within a park, "So it begins…"